This invention relates to handbags or pocketbooks, and more particularly to a handbag whose exterior can be changed.
A very important feature of style is to have a handbag or pocketbook, which is carried by a woman, match her particular ensemble. Such matching can be done by having the color of the handbag the same or close to particular colors of the clothes worn, or to have a particular design match the ensemble design. In order to achieve such coordination, it is frequently necessary for a woman to purchase and maintain a considerable number of handbags so that each can match a particular ensemble or wardrobe. However, this results in a very costly situation since fine quality handbags are quite expensive.
It would accordingly be desirable to have a handbag which can be modified so that the exterior color or design of the handbag is changeable, thereby to match the particular ensemble being worn. Additionally, it would be desirable to modify the exterior of the handbag so that the handbag itself might have a mixture of colors in order to make the handbag more interesting or attractive.
Various suggestions have been made for providing a handbag permitting ensemble matching. One solution is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,226 which includes panels which can be interfitted between a side and a holding frame portion of the handbag. The panels are selectively removed and replaced in order to match the particular ensemble. Another solution is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,685 which has removable exterior covers which can be selectively replaced to change a particular color or design of the handbag. Numerous other solutions have been proposed.
In most of the proposed solutions it is required to actually remove and replace a portion of the handbag. This necessitates the storage of extra panels or covers and requires considerable manipulation in order to modify the color or design of the handbag. Additionally, the color or design can be only changed at a location where the extra covers or panels are stored. As a result, once the handbag is in use, it cannot be changed at arbitrary times or locations.